Tag Archives: Adele

Two subjects of comedy that have gone stale–if they were ever even fresh–are fat people and the Holocaust. Joan Rivers is a “comedian” in the very loosest sense of the term: someone who tries to make people laugh. Appearing on Late Night with David Letterman, Ms. Rivers made a “joke” about hit-singer Adele. The two met at last year’s Academy Awards and Rivers thought she’d try to get a laugh at the expense of Adele’s weight.

“What is her song? ‘Rolling In The Deep’? She should add fried chicken!” Rivers later said in an interview for the Huffington Post, “She’s a chubby lady who’s very, very rich, and she should just calm down—or lose weight!” She claimed that Adele “wanted an apology,” so, Rivers said, “I took an ad out on her ass. I said, ‘You are not fat.’ And then I had room for a lot of other ads. Adele is beautiful and successful and has what, $100 million? Let’s face reality: she’s fat!”

Rivers is unapologetic and claims that there is no subject safe from comedy. I agree. The problem is that Rivers isn’t funny.

This was just the first in the list of not-funny jokes that Rivers has recently made. On E!’s Fashion Police she commented on German model Heidi Klum and her deliciously revealing dressdisplayed at this year’s Academy Awards. Rivers said,“The last time a German looked this hot was when they were pushing Jews into the ovens.”

Soak it in.

The Anti-Defamation League, an organizationcommitted to fighting anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry, responded, “This remark is so vulgar and offensive to Jews and Holocaust survivors, and indeed to all Americans, that we cannot believe it made it to the airwaves.” Personally, I think the Anti-Defamation League took offense on somebody else’s behalf. The Germans, Frau Klum in particular, have as much cause to be offended as do Jews and Holocaust survivors.

I am one of the staunchest defenders of free speech you’re liable to find. Joan Rivers is protected by law to say whatever she wants at the expense of whomever she wants. This isn’t a question about “rights;” it’s a question about comedy.

Rivers later responded to calls for her to apologize by scoffing, “Learn what comedy’s about, tell that to Richard Pryor, tell that to Chris Rock, tell it to Louis C. K. , go back to Lenny Bruce. I’m very proud to be a part that group.” You aren’t. She isn’t. The difference between these masters of comedy and Joan Rivers is that they are/were funny. Louis C. K. could make a joke about Schindler’s Listbecause he’s talented enough to pull humor out of everything. Comedians have the special role of pushing the limits of what we say, and making light of the taboo. The only deal is—they have to be funny. Louis C. K. can make a joke about being fat, too. Because he’s funny.

In an embarrassing interview Rivers said, “It’s a joke, number one. Number two, it is about the Holocaust. This is the way I remind people about the Holocaust. I do it through humor.”

She has said elsewhere that she reminds people of the Holocaust “because half the people now don’t even believe it ever happened.”

“My husband lost his entire family in the Holocaust, so let’s just start with that. Your generation doesn’t even know what I’m talking about. My doing a joke gets them talking. Doesn’t bother Heidi, doesn’t bother me.” Nice retrospective justification, I’m sure that’s what she was thinking when she made the joke, ‘This will get them talking about the Holocaust, cause this generation doesn’t even know.’

There are a lot of people who say you should apologize.

“For what? Why don’t you worry about Mel Gibson? Why don’t you worry about the anti-Semites out there and not pick someone who doesn’t have a single living relative, hmm?” Any subject that’s too serious that you wouldn’t take on in humor? “I think that’s how we get through life. That’s how I deal with [it]. You make people laugh. You laugh, you can deal with it.”

Secondly, you know gosh-darn well you’re making up some excuse like you’re on a crusade against Holocaust deniers. You were trying to be funny. You weren’t. If you still claim to be a comedian, you should apologize for not doing your job. You should apologize for not being funny.

Happy Earth Day everyone! It’s that one day out of the year in which everyone tries to pitch in to help preserve our beloved planet. Naturally, we at the Flux blog thought we would give a shout out to mother nature in our own, special way. So here are some of our favorite songs that pay tribute to our beautiful planet.

You know those songs that you just can’t seem to get out of your head? Whether it’s a song you love or hate, it seems to stick with you for days (and sometimes weeks) after listening to it. Sometimes having a song stuck in your head can be a great thing, but other times, it can be a nightmare. So here’s a list of some of our favorite and least favorite songs that we just can’t seem to get out of our heads.

It’s finally over! After 11 weeks of hard work and no sleep, we finally get to put winter term behind us and look forward to the ultimate prize, spring break. But before we even begin to plan how we are going to spend the next week, there’s one thing and one thing only that we need. Sleep. After jumping through hoops and meeting professors deadlines over the last two weeks, most of us are on the brink of collapsing. So we thought we would put together a playlist to help you take that much deserved nap. All of us here at Flux want to wish everyone a fantastic spring break!

It’s that special time of the year when men get to embarrass their girlfriends by sending flowers to their work. When chalky, little heart-shaped candies pass as actual food. And most important of all, it’s the day you get to spend with that special someone. It’s Valentine’s Day and the love is certainly in the air. We here at the flux blog had some fun with our previous playlist, but we haven’t forgotten all of you love birds out there! So grab a blanket, light some candles and enjoy our Valentine’s Day playlist with that special someone.

It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and for some of us that means planning out a special evening for you and that special someone. But for the rest of us, Valentine’s Day is just another night on the calendar. So we here at the Flux blog staff decided to pay tribute to those who will be spending lover’s day alone. So sit back, relax and enjoy our anti-Valentine’s Day playlist.

When the nominees for the 2012 annual Grammy Awards were released Wednesday night, my mind was bursting with questions. How many Grammys will Adele win? Will we actually get the Van Halen reunion we were promised? How the hell did Bruno Mars get six nominations? Here are some of the nominations that caught my attention Wednesday night.

Disappointing Album of the Year Nominees

Last year’s nominations for Album of the Year proved the Grammys were taking a step in the right direction. Nominees ranged from rapper Eminem to country-pop group Lady Antebellum, and Arcade Fire broke through as the first indie band to win the award. This year’s nominations, however, proved they took five steps back. The category contains only two realistic competitors in Lady Gaga’s Born This Way and Adele’s 21 (sorry Foo Fighters). I’m not quite sure how Bruno Mars and Rihanna got thrown into the mix, and I know I’m not the only one asking, where’s Kanye?

Remembering Amy Winehouse

There’s no question that there will be some sort of memorial for soul singer Amy Winehouse, and it will probably come during the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance award. Winehouse collaborated with jazz icon Tony Bennett for his album Duets II, where the two sing a rendition of “Body and Soul” that will give you chills. The song is one of Winehouse’s last known recordings before her untimely death and will most likely win the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

Too Much Dubstep

I’m just going to flat out say it. I hate dubstep. I hate the noises, I hate the concerts and most importantly of all, I hate Skrillex. This year, Skrillex was nominated for five Grammys, including Best New Artist. If you ask me, that’s five nominations too many. I know dubstep has gained a huge following over the last couple of years. But for those of us who aren’t 13-year-olds wandering through a rave in our underwear, dubstep is just plain annoying. But maybe I’m being too hard on Skrillex. I mean, she seems like a pretty nice person.

Kanye vs Kanye for Best Rap Album

It’s seems pretty obvious that the odds are in Kanye West’s favor to win this year’s Grammy for Best Rap Album. The only question is, which one of his albums will win? West and Jay-Z prove to be a lethal combination in Watch the Throne; an entire album dedicated to the glamorous lives of West and Jay-Z. However, West’s solo album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy has proved to be his masterpiece, with featured artists ranging from Nicki Minaj to Justin Vernon. I was stunned to see Dark Twisted Fantasy left off the ballot for Album of the Year, and I’d be really surprised if it didn’t win the Grammy for Best Rap Album.

When the nominees for the 2012 annual Grammy Awards were released Wednesday night, my mind was bursting with questions. How many Grammys will Adele win? Will we actually get the Van Halen reunion we were promised? How the hell did Bruno Mars get six nominations? Here are some of the nominations that caught my attention Wednesday night.

Album of the Year Nominees

Last year’s nominations for Album of the Year proved the Grammys were taking a step in the right direction. Nominees ranged from rapper Eminem to country-pop group Lady Antebellum, and Arcade Fire broke through as the first indie band to win the award. This year’s nominations, however, proved they took five steps back. The category contains only two realistic competitors in Lady Gaga’s Born This Way and Adele’s 21 (sorry Foo Fighters). I’m not quite sure how Bruno Mars and Rihanna got thrown into the mix, and I know I’m not the only one asking, where’s Kanye?

Remembering Amy Winehouse

There’s no question that there will be some sort of memorial for soul singer Amy Winehouse, and it will probably come during the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance award. Winehouse collaborated with jazz icon Tony Bennett for his album Duets II, where the two sing a rendition of “Body and Soul” that will give you chills. The song is one of Winehouse’s last known recordings before her untimely death and will most likely win the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

Too Much Dubstep

I’m just going to flat out say it. I hate dubstep. I hate the noises, I hate the concerts and most importantly of all, I hate Skrillex. This year, Skrillex was nominated for five Grammys, including Best New Artist. If you ask me, that’s five nominations too many. I know dubstep has gained a huge following over the last couple of years. But for those of us who aren’t 13-year-olds wandering through a rave in our underwear, dubstep is just plain annoying. But maybe I’m being too hard on Skrillex. I mean, she seems like a pretty nice person.

Kanye vs Kanye for Best Rap Album

It’s seems pretty obvious that the odds are in Kanye West’s favor to win this year’s Grammy for Best Rap Album. The only question is, which one of his albums will win? West and Jay-Z prove to be a lethal combination in Watch the Throne; an entire album dedicated to the glamorous lives of West and Jay-Z. However, West’s solo album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy has proved to be his masterpiece, with featured artists ranging from Nicki Minaj to Justin Vernon. I was stunned to see Dark Twisted Fantasy left off the ballot for Album of the Year, and I’d be really surprised if it didn’t win the Grammy for Best Rap Album.